People not eating out as much, say eatery owners

 

Some eateries had been forced to raise prices or reduce their portions due to higher cost of raw materials. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Demand at local eateries in the Klang Valley has been declining, claim some business owners.

Hazwandi Hassan, 38, a restaurant owner in Shah Alam, said the number of customers had dropped by about 20% since August.

“People still need to eat, but they are not eating as much as they used to. For example, if they used to order five portions, they now only order three,” he told FMT, adding that he had to make adjustments to his workforce due to the lower demand.

“We don’t want to lay off employees, but we have decided to rotate their shifts to reduce manpower costs.”

Another restaurant owner in Subang Jaya, Alia Zaisun, 26, said the number of customers had been declining since July.

She said the decline could be due to the recent trend of people eating at home or bringing their packed lunches to work.

Alia Zaisun said the recent trend of people eating at home or bringing their packed lunches to work could be the reason for the drop in the number of people dining out.

“When this happens, we focus on boosting our marketing.”

Intan, 60, who has owned a cafe in Kuala Lumpur for 17 years, said she had noticed a decline in the number of customers, especially during weekdays, since August.

She believed that this was due to the increasing cost of raw materials, which had seen many operators forced to hike their prices.

“Now the price of sugar is RM5 per kg. It used to be RM2.50, but if we do not increase the price, how can we survive?” she said.

However, she said she chose to reduce the sizes of her portions instead of raising prices.

Intan also said she could still rely on her loyal customers as she had been in business for a long time but she expressed concern about whether new businesses could survive in the current climate. - FMT